Chapter five:
Okay, so I have decided to split Syd's time in the maze into two short chapters. Also, unfortunately, I will have to change to updating only once or twice a week. I feel like it may be on Tuesdays and Fridays. My school work, fan fiction, drama, and youth group are getting to be too much to handle at once. So the updates will slow down, but the story will continue!
Acknowledgements:
Thanks to Lovely Unicorn for following my story and me and favoriting mystery and me! I appreciate it! Thank you Mystic Rosewood Falls for following and favoriting my story!
Review responses:
Lovely Unicorn: Sorry! But unfortunately, you better get used to it! It's great to hear that you're excited!
Sydney: Okay, so here's the rundown. I loved your idea! I mean I really, really did! However, by the time you reviewed, I was already working on the next installment… so I already had a plan! But, you'll notice in the next chapter, that I used your idea about the vines. And she does explore the maze to find a way out! I am so happy that you care enough to keep reviewing! I would love to hear more ideas!
Serena: I'm glad you like it! And her encounters with Minho are probably my favorite parts to write! I will definitely write more!
Sorry if I missed anyone!
When the doors finally close, my terrors creep in and overtake my mind. I let out all the screams I have held back. I sob until I have no more tears. I pound on the walls, as if by some miracle, they will open. My gaze settles on the dagger clutched in my hand. I could end it. I could take care of everything before a Griever came. Using all of my power, I shove the blade deep in my pocket. I am stronger than that. I have a chance to survive this. If I die, so be it. At least I tried.
Taking deep breaths, I try to piece together a strategy of sorts. My original plan was to damage the Griever with my dagger somehow, then bolt away while its attention is not on me. However, I don't feel comfortable with this plan. My dagger won't do much, this I know. If the Griever sees me, it is likely that I won't leave this place alive. So I'll hide. The ivy on these walls is thick; some clumps could even hide me if I curled up. As much as I am worried about committing to one spot, for now, it's my best bet. I sprint to a large pile of dangling ivy twenty feet away. I crawl in close to the smooth wall and pull the leaves around me like a large, green blanket. My breathing settles, but I can't calm myself down. If at any moment a Griever should appear, I would probably just panic and, well, get myself killed. Not exactly a good option.
The maze darkens, and I stay committed to my ivy patch, every once in a while fingering the dagger in my pocket. It's small, but it comforts me just the same.
Unexpectedly, my ears detect a funny whirring and clicking sound that I've never heard before. My heart races as I realize where those noises are coming from. My newest nightmare. A Griever. I shudder against the wall. I can't face this thing by myself. The noises grow louder and more consistent as the minutes drag on. And finally, through my layer of ivy, I see it. Minho was right. There was no way he could describe this horrific monstrosity by words alone. Its blubbery skin glides along the ground, pulled along by its creaking metal legs. It bares its teeth, worrying me that it senses my presence. As the great beast scuttles closer and closer, I can see the glint of the syringe that could sting me, if I make even one false move. I hold my breath and squeeze my eyes shut as the griever passes. It moves along without noticing my shaking form amid the ivy. I don't let out my breath until its shadow has passed beyond the next wall. I almost feel a bit giddy. That's one griever that I won't have to worry about for a bit. But, I know that it isn't safe to stay hiding here. Above all else, I must get as far away from that thing as I possibly can. As I quietly tear the ivy away from my body, stand up shakily. With one final glance toward where the griever disappeared, I dash off in the complete opposite direction, leaving the griever, and the doors, behind.
About two minutes later, I am completely out of breath, and I realize my mistake. I didn't pay any attention to any of the turns I was making. I am hopelessly, utterly lost, in the heart of the maze. My head snaps left and right, my hair flicking around my wild eyes. Calm down, I tell myself. I'll worry about being lost later. I have to escape the grievers first. I take off running again, down a passage that I know I haven't run. For a moment, I feel exhilarated. There's nothing chasing me. It's just me and these walls. That brief moment of freedom ends when I hear the unmistakable sound of clicking and whirring following me. I don't stop. I just run harder and harder past walls coated in ivy. It won't catch me. Hopefully. My feet fly down a particularly dark passage. For a moment, I forget the griever; the deafening sound of the great walls moving is slightly distracting. I can't decide if the moving walls will help me or hurt me. Maybe, I could use them to escape the grievers. Or maybe, it will trap me or smash me. Click, click. Whir whir. I groan with frustration. I allowed the moving walls to hold my attention for too long, and now the griever has gained ten feet on me. I don't even scream as I continue to dash down the murky corridor. I am too focused and exhausted. I hear the griever speeding behind me, its metal legs clashing. As I near the end of the passage, where a turn should be, my heart leaps to my throat. There is no turn. Just a thick, stone wall. I frantically turn around, hoping to see a way I could pass the griever, but find nothing. This is where it ends.
Just as the monster draws up to attack, and I stand firm with dagger in hand, I hear a shouting, yelling voice, headed my way. What? What's going on? Who's here? I'm alone in this maze. Right? Wrong. A boy, slightly older than me, comes running around the corner, yelling. I am so confused and startled by this new development, that I drop my dagger.
"HEY! HEY, SHUCKFACE!" He's racing toward the griever full speed. Who else is in this maze? He yells louder and charges the creature, completely taking all attention away from me. As if things couldn't get more stressful and confusing, the walls in our closed off section begin to advance towards each other, I watch them move in slow motion. Panic sets in. The walls are closing in, hoping to trap me between them. There's a griever that wants to inject me with poison. But the most mysterious thing of all, there's a strange boy fighting that griever. How on earth did this random kid get here? I look back to the pair, the boy dodging the serum, the griever retaliating with spinning blades and needles. I still have no idea how to escape.
"Syd! Syd, climb the walls! Hurry!"
Confused, I nod my head, once again facing the cold walls head on. I can't climb these. They are moving, and the ivy wouldn't hold my weight. But, I can't shake the feeling that there's something about them that I'm overlooking. The gap between the walls spans only six feet. They are moving so slowly, you can barely tell that they're moving at all. An idea hits me like someone flipped a switch. I ready myself to attempt the craziest idea that I've ever had. I have to try. The walls are finally close enough together for my plan to work. I firmly plant one hand on each wall, purposefully gripping grooves in the stone. Then, I place each foot on a wall. I am holding myself a few inches off the ground. Difficult? Yes. Possible? Totally. I take a deep breath and look at the boy who is sacrificing himself for me. An eerie feeling washes over me; he knew my name. Without any more thought, I heft all of my weight to my hands, then to my feet. I begin the climb.
Slowly, and steadily, I lift my body further and further from the ground. I'm doing it! I'm actually doing it! My moment of relief fades as the walls grow closer. If they close while I'm climbing…
A shudder from the left wall throws off my balance, and I struggle frantically not to plunge into the darkness below. I can still see the boy with bleachy hair fighting the griever in another part of the maze. It shows me how truly high I've climbed. But I can't stop here. I climb and climb, until my hands are sore, and my legs are shaking uncontrollably. At last, I reach the top of the mighty wall, and breathe in my victory like a breath of fresh air. For a moment, I sit silently on the top of the wall. I made it.
But only because of that boy. I can't even repay him for his help. I can't tell people in the Glade about him. I was supposed to do this alone. They might think I went crazy and imagined this boy. I can't waste any more precious time. I'm not sure where to go. I can't see the doors from here. Just as I'm about to settle on heading to my left, the boy cries out to me.
"RUN, SYD! RUN! DON'T LOOK BACK!" His voice ends with a shrill scream that sends chills through my blood. I have to go.
With one final glance at the boy I wish I knew, I turn to my left. And I run.
Okay, so here we have another plot twist that I think I am the first to try…so does anyone know the height of the walls? It's really, really important for the next chapter! I need help, guys! Also, don't forget to tell me if you have an idea that you want me to consider! I would love to talk to you! Sorry for any typos! I will try to update on Friday! 3